Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Notes on the Lesson for Decem-
Der 4-"Parable of the
SoweY."

oC"oI.
lErom Chicago Standard. By Rev J. III. Coonl
The lesson for the above date NAV be found
III tho first nine verses of the thirteenth chap
ter OF Matthew Time. A. D. rs Place,
shore of the Sea of Galilee,
SPECIAL MENTION.
Shore Of G@tilee.-A strip of level sandy
beach surrounds the lake, from which the
nils ascend, usually in gentle grassy slopes,
broken by abrupt precipltous cliffs, the bright
oieander and other plants often forming
peasant fringe along tho shore On the west
e b;rt sla 4e an abundant supply Of springs give
t me eastern eis Blakie.) At the north end of
the lake OF Gennesaret there are small creeks.
OF lnlets, where the ship could ride in safety
on,y lew feet from the shore, and where tho
~ seated on both sides and before
the boat could listen without distraction or
1atsuc. AS if on purpose to furnish seats,
the shores on both sides of these narrow inlets
are are pled up with smooth bundles of basalt
(IhOmsonl
,,i Ear a., 6, Of .h.sisl-N aeaning Liter
another, for explanation. The material is
placed by the moral OR spiritual to illustrate
or explain. "The parable Is distinct from the
J9ote as 1t moves i'll the spiritual world; from
me prooerb, as it is more fully Developed;
from from tho allego,y as it compares one thing
a ,T, another, not transfers one to another.
tTrench, abrldged) ts) Nu8tbcr Trench
a mlS Arnot each give thirty in their Notes"
otners include three more: "The strong man
Matt =: 49,; and sThe Good shepRerdn
John 10: y. Other fgurative expressions
might be included OF tho number thirty
three Matthew gives sixteen, Mark five Luke
twenty-o me and John one: The Good Shop
nerd. While some must be included and
0tners excluded, see not q few lying am
D.guous on the border. Arnot) e) We
may discern an arrangement in the
parallels as they fell from Christ's
lips. First, those relating to the d.
in Matt is. Second, later in Christs ministry
those drawn from the lJe Of nsea, rather than
good samaritan, The p ioG ya0s son, ~The
unjust judge, etc. Third, near the close of
Feast 7s ton vrgas tnen Ma55r as
tSee Smiths Bib Dict) az Interpretation.
g sTl has gwen explanations of t.vo parallels,
The sower" and ".Ihe tares, }" and these should
ever oe our gnlde IN explaining and applying
true meaning more easily than the acutest in
tellect. Try to lind the chief teaching OF the
paraDle, put 40 not expect a doctrine in every
jot and title. sThe parallels of the kingdom
down in it, admiring each picture. Lot us
not forget these are heavenly pictures, heav-
emily things exposed to view. An Interpreter
walks by our side, and if We look Alright rich
treat awaits US, for the Aeavessly gallery is
great" tDrascke.)
CONNECTING LINK.
In point of time this lesson should come
much earlier in the quarter, Just before the
shlllns of the tempest (Matt, s: 1920 But
as IN many other cases.. Matthew allows the
sublect-matter to control the narrative; and,
therefore, we have these parallels gathered
up In one chapter. Find parallel accounts III
Mark 4: ~; Luke 8: 4-15 Read, also,
verses IL ~ OF this chapter, the Scripture ex-
position Of the lesson.
TOPIC AND OUTLINE.
!. Lessons to Christian srorke,w. This par
aple may be studied with special profit by all
VINO are engaged in any way in spiritual seed
sowing; the nature of the work, it's difficult
ues and dlscouragements, it's rewards and
successes sie it, arc yivdly portrayed As to the
G) 1T demands effort and sacrifice tSwent
ont), y 1t presnpposes equipment and pro-
vision SSto sow, az it requires faith. As 10
the dlthcultles and acknowledgements, they are
found u) in the worker himself, C2} in the di-
medlate!y'), 3) in the character Of those who
hear the truth. How unpromising and
unproductive the soil in many cases! Then,
az to the success attained, we are taught ~
CAAsso ss>0udA OutWdlu result uOoS NOT 1OAl0W LQ6
sowing in every case (sScme fell by tho way
SIDE, etc., ~ that some success will attend
the labor of every faithful sower of the seed
rother tell on good ground and did yield,
etc., ld ~ that results will vary in degree
nc erent cases thirty, sixty, and q hundred
fol y.
g Furious rays Of hearing tie mord. But
the parable has to do mainly with descrip-
ton of the different kinds of soil into which
the seed is cast; Or, stripping of the figure,
the different ways in which the truth is re-
ceived by man. The same truth comes tn all,
but how various are the spirit and attitude of
man toward it
There is for example ~ an unyieldins i'm
Penltence displayed by some These are the
swayside" hearers, representing the hardened
unbeliever. The truth no more enters the
mind to any permanent good than the seed
sinks into the road upon which il may chance
to fall.
There is again, C) shallow susceptibility
manifested by come. These are the STONY
ground" hearers, a type of those who, with
emotional nature predominating, come easily
under the power of truth, are swayed almost
at will, but fail to have the truth take hold of
the heart Their seeming change of life is q
mere surface goodishness, with no power or
permanence because no hear-rOot They
are apt to be awakened, quickened into all
emotional religiosity i'll times of revival, but
speedily relapse into coldness.
Once moro c3) a worldly engrossment char
oCtc11ZeS sOuc. 4uoSo A1o eAO t4AOIuy
ground" hearers, describing that large class
who are deeply moved and seem thoroughly
converted; but the world gradually crowds in,
displacng their so-called religion. When the
fierce battle comes between religion and the
world the world wins. These are they who
are chained by some besetting sin and at last
ruined by it.
Then lastly az there is a fruitful obedience
exhibited by some who hear. This is repre-
scented by the good ground which received the
seed and produced the harvest So the seed
of the word must be sown in the heart, take
deep root and bring forth fruit. In Scripture
We are warned against the dull ear, the itch
ing eur, the heavy ear, the uncircumcised ear;
and enjoined to have the open and obedient
ear. In the cleansing of the 1eper the holy oil
was to be put ON the tip Of the right ear.
showing the need of this organ being healed
and restored in order to tho true hearing
Christ healing the deaf was symbolic Of that
work which the Holy Spirit must do in the
heart in order to the true hearing It
is the heart that must hear. II the
heart be shut to the divine call, not
the varied voices OF nature, the loud thunders
of judgment, not the sweet promises Of the
Saviour, not the mighty whisper Of the Spirit
can enter the being and influence the life.
And the proof that ono has heard Alright ia
found in the life. The hearing is nothing, and
worse than nothing, unless it is followed by
the doing 1t is important not only that one
hear the truth on Sunday. but that he live the
truth on Monday. Hearing and obedience
are mutually helpful. Hearing is necessary
to obedience and obedience quickens and
oh 1IC